Warning! Spoilers ahead for Frasier season 2, episode 8, “Thank You, Dr. Crane.”
Warning: The article briefly discusses suicide.
Somehow, Frasier and Freddy’s new relationship conflict inFrasierseason 2 doesn’t have the emotional gut punch that it should have because it refuses to acknowledge the events ofCheers. A big part of the Paramount+ revival’s premise isFrasier returning to Boston after his time in Chicago. That said, a pit stop to visit his son made him realize that he needed to repair their fractured relationship. TheFrasierseason 1 endingseemed like it took care of that, but season 2 introduces a new issue between the father and son.
While Frasier and his son have a better dynamic now than when they first started living together, there are still some conflicts that come their way in the show’s sophomore year.Frasierseason 2delved deeper intoFreddy’s decision to drop out of Harvard, which apparently involved Alan Cornwall. It also explored the younger Crane’s refusal to open up to his dad about the grief over the death of his friend. That said, inFrasierseason 2, episode 8, “Thank You, Dr. Crane,” the pair’s trip to Seattle for a special KACL visit brings back grudges from decades ago.
Freddy Discusses His Childhood Grudge About Frasier Being An Absent Father In The Revival
Frasier Moved To Seattle After The Events Of Cheers
Frasier’s trip to Seattle is motivated by Roz’s invitationto do aspecial broadcast ofThe Dr. Frasier Crane Showto save the fledgling KACL. Freddy tags along, but he has no interest whatsoever in their main purpose and instead wants to watch the Mariners play. He doesn’t notice that though his dad is trying too hard to show him the legacy he left the Pacific Northwest. In the end, Frasier admits that the reason why he has been bent on highlighting his accomplishments is to justify to his son that leaving him in Boston was for a good reason.
Frasier Season 2 Officially Ends The Original Series 20 Years After It Went Off The Air
The Frasier reboot’s return to Seattle officially wraps up the original Cheers spinoff 20 years after Kelsey Grammer’s character left Emerald City.
While Freddy reveals that he is no longer mad about it, he admits that there were times when he hoped that he would grow up with his dad around more often. For context, Frasier moved to Seattle afterCheersas a way to launch his new spinoff. Being on the opposite end of the country helped NBC get away with not featuring Sam Malone and the rest of his bar flies in the original Frasier. Ultimately, the father and son patch things up, but it’s difficult to get emotional with this plot since it’s missing one key context.
Frasier Leaving Frasier In Boston Was Because Lilith Cheated In Cheers
Lilith Caused Her & Frasier’s Divorce
Because theFrasier revival continues to ignoreCheers, it is unable to delve into the real reason that Frasier moved away from Boston and wasn’t able to be near Freddy. In the narrative, just a few years after the birth of Freddy,Lilith and Frasier got a divorce after she failed to be faithful. InCheersseason 11, episode 6, Lilith’s affair with her colleague Dr. Louis Pascal was revealed. This resulted in Freddy’s parents separating as Lilith chose to leave her husband for her new lover. She eventually tried getting back with Frasier, but it ultimately failed.
Frasier even tried committing suicide when he attempted to jump off the building, and while it was presented comically, his subsequent conversation with Martin about his mom’s own affair painted the harsh reality of it.
By the time the original Frasier started,Frasier was already settled in his new life in Seattle with the divorce finalized. He wanted to start a new life in the Pacific Northwest following the heartbreak of Lilith’s infidelity. Frasier even tried committing suicide when he attempted to jump off the building, and while it was presented comically, his subsequent conversation with Martin about his mom’s own affair painted the harsh reality of it. Without acknowledging all of these, it’s difficult to buy into the Frasier season 2’s latest issue between Frasier and Freddy.
Will Freddy Ever Learn The Truth About The Reason For Frasier & Lilith’s Divorce?
Frasier Likely Doesn’t Want Freddy To Know About Lilith’s Affair
It’s safe to say thatFreddy continues to be unaware of the real reason that Frasier moved to Seattle. He was far too young when the split happened, and the conversation has never come up in both versions of the Frasier show. While it’s always possible that Frasier and Lilith sat him down to come clean about the truth, his parents' relationship has been really contentious, so it is enough to convince anyone that their split was due to their clashing personalities.
Frasier Season 2’s Seattle Episode Misses The Whole Point Of The Original Series
Frasier’s Seattle return resurrects Freddy’s hang-ups about growing up away from his father, but it misinterprets the point of the original show.
However, one of the biggest indications thatFrasier hasn’t confessed about what Lilith has done to himwas his conversation with Martin about the infidelities in their marriages. Despite his flaws, Frasier is a good man, and he would rather keep all the ugly history a secret if it means sparing his child the pain of knowing about it. For now, it doesn’t seem like there are plans for Freddy to learn about what really happened between his parents in theFrasierrevival, and perhaps, that’s for the best.
Frasier
Follow Frasier Crane in the next chapter of his life as he returns to Boston, Mass., with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to finally fulfill.
Cheers
Cast
One of the most well-known American sitcoms of the 1980s and 90s, Cheers is primarily set in Boston at the Cheers bar, and features and ensemble cast that includes Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Pearlman, Kelsey Grammer, and George Wendt. Danson’s Sam Malone acts as the bar’s proprietor, and episodes depict the lives of Cheers' staff and patrons during the bar’s operating hours. The series ran for 11 seasons and gave rise to popular spin-off shows such as Frasier.
